The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-02-02
REVENUE CUTTERS.
AN IMPORTANT BRANCH OF THE
NAVAL SERVICE.
It's Origin and Development-Num'
Der Of Vessels and Men EN-
ployed in the Service-The
Numerous Duties.

In recent interview with prominent
officer of the United States revenue cut
ter service reporter from the New York
Commercial Advertiser obtained the fol-
lowing interesting information regarding
that active and effective arm of the gov
eminent:
A bill authorizing the creation of the
corps, the building of ten cutters, the
commissioning by the President of forty
officers, and appropriating $23, 327. so for
building, arming, equippinng and man
ming the war vessels, passed both houses
on the 23d of April, 1880, and was the
birth of the revenue cutter service. The
frigate Constitution was launched Octo-
Der 81, 1897, aud was the first vessel Of
the national navy. This gives the reve-
nue. cutter service seniority of more
than seven years over the navy.
The revenue cutter service is little
short of 100 hundred years old, and has
participated in every war in which the
country has been involved, except the
Algerine. The service to-day consists of
thirty-six vessels, together with four
Others detailed for duty in connection
with the lifc-saving service, with ZIG
officers, including captains, lieutenants,
engineers and cadets, and IT'S sailors,
including petty officers.
The vessels are complete in their arma-
ments of great guns, rifles, revo!vers,
cutlasses, etc. The officers are required
to be proficient in the knowledge Of
gunnery, military drill, manual Of arms,
and to instruct and exercise the crews in
the use of all arms carried upon vessel
of war. The discipline maintained on
board ship is that usually prevailing on
vessels of war. The ranks of the officers
are recruited from young men, who are
compelled to pass searching examinations
in all the En- glish branches. A training
bark, stationed at New Bedford, Mass,
receives the aspirants, where an aca-
demic course is followed, the course of
study being modelled on that of the
naval academy.
The revenue cutter service is part of
the military forceo of the Government, and
is the strong executive arm OF the Treas.
ury Department. 1t is charged at all
times with important duties in the en-
forcement of the customs revenue laws
and the laws governing the vessels Of
the merchant marine, etc. Congress has
specially provided that revenue cutters
shall be accounted part of the navy at
the pleasure of the President, and has
conferred assimilated naval rank upon
the officers, who are commissioned BY
the President and confirmed by the
Senate, retaining their commissions dur.
ing good behavior, the same as officers of
the army and navy.
Among the duties of the service may
be brief y enumerated the following:
TO see that the laws pertaining to the
licenses, enrolments and registry OF ves-
sells are obeyed; that the laws requiring
life-saving appliances to be kept on the
merchant vessels are complied with
that steamers in the merchant marine
carry the necessary evidences of inspec.
ton by the proper officers as to hulls and
machinery, and that their officers are
properly licensed; that merchant vessels
comply with the law as to name and
hailing ports, ETC.. that passenger ves-
sells comply with the laws prohibiting
overlooking with passengers; that mer-
chant vessels at night carry and exhibit
the lights required by law; that the neu-
trality laws are not violated or evaded;
that the timber reserves of the United
States are not plundered; that the seal
fisheries are not invaded; that unlawful
traffic in firearms and rum in Alaskan
waters is not indulgcd in, and that the
quarantine laws of the United States
and of the several States are enforced.
This service must also rescue shipwrecked
whalers in the Arctic, and occasionally
look after missing Arctic explorers. Its
officers also prevent piracy on the seas;
they suppress mutinies ON board vessels
of the merchant marine, and are fire.
ouently called upon for this purpose.
The vessels constitute, when detailed for
harbor duty, al ever ready and efficient
floating fire department for the protection
of shipping in the harbor. Its officers
report upon any absence OF buoys or
lights upon the coast.
The revenne cutter service carries on
the humune provisions of the law in aid
of shipwrecked marines on the seacoasts
and the great lakes, the vessels cruising
on this duty always in the inclement sea-
son. when most other Government ves-
sells are in harbor. They assist the life
saving service, and it is due to the talent,
training and care OF the revenue cutter
officers, who in q great measure have
that service in hand, that it has gained
the popularity aud efficiency it at pres
ent enjoys. =,
The revenue cutter service aids the
lighthouse establishment, the coast sur
vcy, the fish commission, the ocean tele-
graph lines and every commercial inter
est of the country, as we'll as all scientific
enterprises coming within the scope of
its OPERATIONS. 1t is the active and pow
erful coast guard Of the country, always
on duty and always equipped for service.
BY skill and good seamanship it aids IN
saving $3,00O,O0 worth Of property I'M
perilled by the sea every year.
During the last five years the revenue
cutters have cruised 1915 900 miles and
upward in the performance of patrol and
lookout duties; assisted S6S vessels IN
distress, the value of which, together
with cargoes, amounts to Sl3,92G, s2G.SO,
and saved $50 lives.
The record for 1886 is as follows:
Miles cruiscd, 344, 6S1; boarded and eX-
amincd %, ,30i vessels; seized and re-
ported vessels for violations Of law,
whose fines aggregated *651, 1879; assist,
cd 313 vessels in distress, with 2,SsS
persons on board, the value OF vessels
and cargo amounting to Sc, TBS. 500, and
154 persons were saved from Watery